A Look Into the 2015 Pan Am Games Mascot

A Look Into the 2015 Pan Am Games Mascot

The 2015 Pan Am Games are officially in July, but the festivities began a while ago. Since the Pan Am Games are being held in Toronto this year, you can expect the entire nation of Canada to deliver a spectacle unlike the games have ever seen before; one of the most important parts of the Pan Am Games festivities is its mascot. A whole lot of hard work, creativity and national pride went into the creation of the Pan Am Games mascot, so let’s take a look at exactly what it took to create it, and what makes it so special.

What is the 2015 Pan Am Games mascot?

The mascot is a porcupine with rainbow quills coming out of his back and a “Toronto 2015” hat on his head. His name is Pachi.

What do Pachi’s features mean?

Pachi was designed with a great deal of creativity and care. There is a great deal of meaning behind every element of his design.

Each color in Pachi’s quills has a different meaning

Green for youth

Fuchsia for passion

Blue for collaboration

Orange for determination

Purple for creativity

There are 41 quills to represent each country participating in the games

The “Toronto” 2015 hat symbolizes the excitement and appreciation Toronto has at hosting the event

What are Pachi’s other features?

In addition to his physical design, Pachi was given a personality and personal bio, which are as follows:

He is from the Niagara Escarpment, which is just outside of Toronto

He enjoys swimming, climbing trees, dancing, doing new things and meeting new people

He was attracted to Toronto by the bright lights and sense of adventure; upon learning that the 2015 Pan Am Games were going to be held in Toronto, he jumped at every opportunity to help make the games great

His favourite colour is Pan Am green

His favourite foods are leaves, fruit and tree bark

Who designed Pachi, the 2015 Pan Am Games mascot?

In order to determine what the mascot would be and how it would look, those running the 2015 Pan Am Games did something special by turning to residents (instead of hiring someone who may or may not get it right). A mascot design contest was held and the design from four 8th grade students at Buttonville Public School in Markham, Ontario won the contest.

How and when was Pachi unveiled to the people of Canada?

Pachi has actually been around for a couple of years now. He was originally unveiled to the public at an event in July of 2013, so by the time the 2015 Pan Am Games officially start, he will be nearly two years old.

How much did the 2015 Pan Am Games mascot cost to make?

In total, Pachi the rainbow quilled porcupine cost about $400,000 to develop, create and promote. Believe it or not, however, the custom creation of the mascot costume itself was actually one of the least expensive parts of the development process. This is due to the fact that like all organizations seeking a custom mascot costume, the people running the 2015 Pan Am Games went to a professional mascot production company; their costs for this were similar to those of any organization seeking a custom mascot.

You don’t need a Pan Am Games budget to have a mascot as amazing as Pachi

Although a large monetary investment was made to develop Pachi, you do not need a huge budget to create a mascot for your organization with as much life as he has. All you need is a little creativity and a good mascot production company.